"Kid, you're really crazy." Rayleigh walked over and handed him a bottle of liquor. "You actually dared to set things up so the Marines would come after you."
Roy was speechless. Aside from the fact that he was badly injured, he was only eleven. What was Rayleigh doing handing him a bottle of liquor?
He rolled his eyes at Rayleigh.
"Mr. Rayleigh, I didn't set anything up," Roy said with a smile. "I was just lucky."
"Lucky? You think I'd believe that?"
"Believe it or not." Roy rolled over so Tesoro could bandage his wounds. "But I really didn't expect Sengoku to be the one who came."
"I thought it would be Black Arm Zephyr, the Marine Admiral known as the 'non-killing Admiral.' At least I wouldn't have died at his hands."
Rayleigh glanced at him.
The kid had been at death's door just moments ago, yet now he had the strength to joke around.
Then again, someone who could awaken Conqueror's Haki under those circumstances really did have an unusual disposition.
"What are you planning to do next?" Rayleigh asked.
"First, find a place to recover." Roy flexed his fingers. "Then find a few reliable companions."
"Companions?"
"Yeah. It's too lonely out on the sea by yourself." Roy looked up at the sky. "And there are a lot of things one person can't do alone."
Rayleigh laughed.
"Kid, you've got some big ambitions!"
"Ambition?" Roy closed his eyes. He supposed he did. After all, he had come to the Pirate King's world, witnessed the bearing of the strong with his own eyes, and experienced the wonders of Devil Fruits firsthand. How could he possibly be content with an ordinary life?
He would leave an indelible mark on this sea, one that belonged to Roy alone!
The ship sailed slowly into the distance.
The sea shimmered, the setting sun staining the waters gold and red. Roy returned to the cabin, feeling waves of pain course through his body.
He had won this battle. Not only had he won a chance to survive, he had also won himself assets for the future.
The awakening of his Conqueror's Haki, the progress of his Observation Haki, the Devil Fruit he had set his sights on, and two good companions.
All of these would be assets he could use to contend for supremacy on the seas in the future.
Thinking of this, Roy slowly closed his eyes and fell unconscious.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Back at headquarters, Sengoku was arranging bounties for Roy and the others.
He went to the window and looked out at the training grounds, where countless young Marines were sweating as they trained, striving for justice.
On this sea, the strong had always reigned supreme.
And now, a potential king had appeared, a monstrously talented youth who had escaped his grasp.
Sengoku picked up the hastily prepared wanted poster. Beneath Roy's name was a figure of 200 million Beli, enough to shake the seas.
The office door opened, and a Marine logistics officer walked in.
"Admiral Sengoku, you sent for me?"
"Yes." Sengoku handed him the bounty posters for Roy's group. "Make the arrangements and have these bounty posters distributed as soon as possible."
"Also, notify Cipher Pol and have them keep a close eye on this person too."
"Yes, sir!"
Three days later.
Somewhere in the New World, aboard the Moby Dick.
On a massive whale-headed ship stood a figure as tall as a small giant, with a powerful build, long golden hair, a white cape, and a distinctive crescent-shaped white mustache.
Edward Newgate.
He was holding a banquet with his "sons," celebrating another victory for the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Pops!"
"Another monstrous kid has appeared on the seas."
A pineapple-haired youth holding the latest newspaper was none other than Marco the Phoenix, commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' first division. "But this kid seems to be a rookie with the Roger Pirates."
"Oh?"
"Has another rookie joined Roger's ship?"
Whitebeard took the newspaper from Marco. "Two hundred million?" He laughed. "Interesting. Another kid like this has appeared on the seas?"
He tossed the newspaper aside and picked up his cup.
"The tide of a new era..."
"Marco, you boys had better work hard. Don't lose to this kid in the future!!"
Meanwhile, all across the world.
From the shadowy Underworld to the heavily guarded Revolutionary Army bases, countless powerful figures took notice of the wanted poster with its first bounty of 200 million.
Roy had made everyone remember his name.
And at that moment, our Roy was still lying unconscious in bed, completely unaware that he had become the focus of the entire world.
Bang!
Wood splinters flew as a green-haired figure came flying into the cabin.
Roy, still dreaming, was so startled by the bang that he sprang straight out of bed.
"Ah! Boss Roy, you're awake!"
At the door, Stella was carrying grilled fish, one hand still held in the position of opening the door as she stared at him in delight.
Roy looked at Stella, then at the gaping hole in the cabin nearby. His freshly awakened brain couldn't make sense of the situation right away.
Only when he saw Tesoro still sprawled on the floor did he realize that this guy must have disturbed his pleasant dream.
"Tesoro!! You bastard..."
Before Roy could finish, Tesoro saw that he was awake and rushed over to give him a bear hug.
"Boss... you're finally awake."
Tesoro's voice choked up. Roy was taken aback, and only then did he understand.
Roy pushed Tesoro away and looked at his bruised and swollen face. "What happened to your face?" he asked curiously.
"Awake?" "Looks like you've recovered well." Rayleigh pushed open the cabin door. "This kid hasn't rested these past few days. He's been coming to me all day, asking me to teach him how to train."
Roy moved his stiff body and patted Tesoro on the shoulder with satisfaction.
"How long was I asleep?"
"Three days! Three whole days!" Stella came over with the grilled fish. "You don't know how worried we were. Tesoro came to your bedside several times every day to check on you."
"Hey, Stella!" Tesoro blushed. "It wasn't several times every day, just once in a while..."
Roy smiled and stretched.
After three days, his body had almost fully recovered.
The exhaustion from awakening his Conqueror's Haki had also vanished completely. Now he felt full of strength.
"Oh, right, is there anything to eat? I'm starving."
"Yes, yes! I'll get it right away!" Stella turned and ran off, returning shortly with a large platter of grilled meat and fruit.
Roy wolfed down the food. Tesoro hesitated beside him for a long while before finally pulling a stack of newspapers and several bounty posters from inside his clothes.
"Boss, the Marines have put bounties on us."
"Hm?" Roy took the newspapers and bounty posters. "Tesoro, not bad, you've got eight million Beli. Stella has five million too?" Then Roy saw the string of zeros beneath his own photo: 200 million Beli.
"Two hundred million? Those Marines really think highly of me." He grinned. A first bounty of 200 million was enough to shake the entire sea.
"That's not all." Tesoro opened the newspaper. "The news says, 'The Roger Pirates planned this attack on the Celestial Dragons.'
"It calls you 'the Roger Pirates' strongest rookie,' 'the most dangerous rookie pirate,' and something about a 'Conqueror's Haki monster'..."
Roy glanced at the newspaper headlines. They were all exaggerated descriptions.
But Roy was happy to see the Roger Pirates take the blame for attacking the Celestial Dragons.
After all, the Roger Pirates were already notorious. They wouldn't mind taking the blame for one more thing.